Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona amplified on Monday afternoon his plea before the Supreme Court to stop the proceedings against him at the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.

Filed through his lead defense counsel and former SC Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas, Corona's pleading claimed that Senator Franklin Drilon asked the Supreme Court en banc's Clerk of Court Atty. Enriqueta Vidal "sham clarificatory questions" during her testimony before the impeachment court last January 18.

It further stated: "In a clear attempt to remedy the ineptness of the prosecution from obtaining relevant evidence, (Drilon) forcibly compelled Atty. Vidal to disregard this Honorable Court's established procedure in the Alejandrino Resolution and produce the petitioner's [Corona's] SALN."

Referencing the Alejandrino Resolution, otherwise known as the Supreme Court en banc resolution "Re: Request of Jose Alejandrino" promulgated on May 22, 1989, Vidal had invoked that "she could not release petitioner's SALN without the Supreme Court's authorization" and added that she was waiting for the high court's decision on whether or not Corona's SALN was to be publicly released.

Cuevas said Drilon "pounced at the opportunity and compelled" Vidal to produce the SALNs she brought, by the power of a subpoena, to the impeachment court. He added that Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Pangilinan and Teofisto Guingona III then followed up with their own manifestations that allegedly "forced" Vidal to submit Corona's SALNs.

Issue of partiality

The defense lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona reiterated that they are appealing to the Senator-judges to stay impartial.

Lawyer Judd Roy of the defense team said the issue was the main reason why they filed the supplemental petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court, where they called the attention of five senator judges, namely Senators Franklin Drilon, Serge Osmeña, Francis Pangilinan, Alan Peter Cayetano and Teofisto Guingona III, to what fellow members of the team described as "glaring instances" where the Senator Judges showed grave abuse of discretion.

The supplemental petition also indicated that President Benigno Aquino III's perceived allies at the Senate "abused their authority and continued their presentation of evidence for the prosecution, without fear of objection." He added that the President even thanked his "senator allies" in threshing out information for the prosecution panel.

The lead defense counsel alleged that some senator-judges launched an "obvious witch-hunt and fishing expedition" during the trial on February 9, saying that Senators Drilon, Osmeña and Pangilinan "moved to expand the subpoena issued by the Impeachment Court" by requiring Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) and the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) to submit documents that showed transfer of funds from the alleged bank accounts to "other banking instruments."

The defense also criticized the Senate impeachment court for losing its "cold neutrality" and violating Corona's right to due process.

Corona said Drilon's opinion that the trial does not require "cold neutrality" from a judge is "blatantly violative of a citizen's basic and fundamental right to due process."

The petition read, in part, "CJ Corona respectfully prays that this supplemental petition be admitted, considered and thereafter granted. CJ Corona respectfully reiterates the reliefs prayed for in the Urgent Petition ..."

In the week just past, Corona had filed an urgent motion asking the high court to issue a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction to stop the proceedings of the Senate impeachment court.

Corona has also asked the Supreme Court to block representatives of BPI and PSBank from testifying before the impeachment court and present documents on the Corona family's bank accounts.

ACL / Reportage from Andrei Figuracion and Albert Alicer